Machine for plucking hair from fur skins



Oct. 2, 1956 s. EISEN 2,764,885

MACHINE FOR PLUCKING HAIR FROM FUR sxms Filed Dec. 21. 1954 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 fl 2' LL O O- O JNVENTOR. LOUIS S. EISEN- BYE.

ATTORNEY Oct. 2, 1956 L. s. EISEN.

MACHINE FOR PLUCKING HAIR FROM FUR SKINS Filed D90. 21. 1954 5 sheat s- Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

'LOUIS S. EISEN Oct. 2, 1956 s. EISEN MACHINE FOR PLUCKING HAIR FROM FUR SKINS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR. LOUIS S. EISEN Oct. 2, 1956 s, EISEN 2,764,885

MACHINE FOR PLUCKING HAIR FROM FUR SKINS Filed Dec. 21, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. LOUIS S. EISEN n1 TORNEY Oct. 2, 1956 L. s. EISEN- 2,764,885

MACHINE FOR PLUCKING HAIR FROM FUR SKINS Filed Dec. 21, 1954 5 Shetis-She'et 5 F 1 IN VEN TOR.

LOUlS s. ezszu A TTORNE Y 2,7 4, 8 United States Patent cc 3,1

tional'view showing the relationship of the knife and roll arrangement.

MACHINE FOR PLUCKIN G FRQM FUR SKINS Louis S. Eisen, Newark, NJ. Application December 21, -1954,$'ei'ial No. 476,807 2 Claims. (CI. 69-26) The present invention is directed .to amach-ine which is-adapted to pluck hair from fur skins and to-leave the actual fur, thus improving the quality-thereof.

It has been customary to accomplish the plucking of the hair by hand operations, which were quite complicated ariddiificult. It was necessary :to soak the skin in a suitable solution, removing water by an extractor and then drumming the skin with sawdust. Thereafter the wet skin was folded with the fur outside and placed in a drying room to remove the water from the fur but not from the hide itself. The skin was then chalked to prevent slipping of a hand knife; the skin was secured to a block and the operator ran the knife with heavy pressure over the fur.

There were a number of disadvantages inherent in this operation in that a great amount of dust was produced which caused discomfort to the operator and was a health hazard. The work involved was quite heavy and often the operators did a slipshod job. In the operation the hide itself was damaged and part of the skin was lost. Also, a very substantial amount of the fur was torn out and this often reached from 30% to 40%, thus reducing the quality of the finished fur. Such operations required approximately two days.

The present invention is intended and adapted to overcome the difficulties and disadvantages inherent in the removal of hair from fur skins, it being among the objects of the present invention to avoid the necessity of any pre-treatment of the skin, to reduce the time necessary for the operation, to avoid the necessity of burdensome Work by the operator and to provide a substantially automatic operation.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide a machine which is simple in construction, effective in operation and which is capable of removing hair from fur skins without damage or loss.

It is further among the objects of the present invention to provide a machine which may be readily operated by relatively unskilled workers and in which such operation results in highly eflicient removal of hair without any substantial removal of fur.

The invention is more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings constituting a part hereof in which like reference characters indicate like parts, and in which- Fig. l is a front elevational view of a machine for the stated purpose and made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the machine showing particularly the means for removing the hair;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the various driving connections for the elements of the machine;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a plate which assists in the de-hairing operation and Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross-sec- The machine includes a frame lhaving a cylinder 2 mounted on a shaft 3 in suitable bearings. A pulley 4 on shaft 3 connec'tsby belt 5to pulley 6, which intu'rn is connected to a gear reduction 7. Apul-ley8 on gear reduction 7 is connected by belt 9 to pulley ions the shaft '"of the driving motor 11. Cylinder 2 is usually perforated as shown at 12.

Drum "or cylinder 2 is provided with a longitudinal slot 13. Alever arm 14 is mounted on shaft '15 and has a tooth 16 adapted to fit into recess 17 of fixed bar 18. Lever arm 14 has a cam follower '19 adapted to contact with cam 20 on shaft 3 and a spring 21'tends to maintain contact between the cam and follower.

A rubber roller 22 at the top of drum 2 cooperates with spiral'k-ni'fe 23. Apair of lateral guides 24 are'intende'd to permit the vertical movement of box24" within which roller 22 and knife 23 are held. A screw 25 at the top of said box operates in a fixed nut '26 onthe frameof-t-he machine and provides means for adjusting the vertical position of box 24. A hand wheel 27 permits such adjustment. Support 28 also assists in guiding box 24.

A plate 29, as more particularly shown in Fig. 6, has sets of openings 30 for a pair of hinges 31 secured at 32 to support 28. Said plate'has openings 33 for holding rod 34 carrying spiral spring 35, whereby limited pivotal movement of plate thickness of the skin being treated. The forward end 36 of plate 29 has openings 37 adapted to retain the bearings for feed roll 38. A brush 39 is mounted in front of feed roll 38. As shown in Fig. 4, the skin 40 travels to the right, due to the rotation of drum 2.

Holder 41 on which roller 22 is mounted operates horizontally in recess 42. Set screws 43 threaded in the frame at 44 bear against block 41 and are adapted to adjust the distance between roller 22 and knife 23.

In an opening at the rear of box 24' is a funnel 45 connected to duct 46-46 connected to a suction blower 47. On pulley 48 attached to the shaft of motor 11 is a belt 49 connected to pulley 50 fixed on the main shaft 51 in the rear of the machine. A pulley 52 is connected by belt 53 to pulley 54 of blower 47.

On said shaft 51 is a pulley 55 connected by belt 56 to pulley 57 on shaft 58. Said shaft is journalled in frame 1 and is connected to knife 23 through a universal joint 58'.

In the front of the machine is an apron 59 held on the frame by brackets 60. In the back of drum 2 is a chute 61, the upper end of which is secured to the top of frame 1 and the lower end63 of which is secured at the front of the frame and below drum 2. Thereby a treated skin falls along the chute and is delivered in the front of the machine.

In the operation of the machine, a skin 40 is placed on apron 59 and motor 11 is started causing revolving of drum or cylinder 2. When slot 13 approaches the apron, arm 14 is raised off of bar or jaw 18 by the action of cam 20 and the operator inserts. the end of the skin between jaw 18 and jaw 18' mounted on arm 14, after which said jaws close and grip the skin. As shown in Fig. 4, brush 39 raises the hair of the skin when then passes under feed roll 38 and under rubber roller 22 and spiral knife 23. The hair enters opening 29 of plate 29 and is gripped between roller 22 and knife 23 which pulls out the hair Without injury to the skin. Blower 47 pulls air through box 24', funnel 45 and out of the system, carrying the hair along in the air stream.

After the skin has been de-haired, cam 20 releases the jaws and the skin drops into chute 61, being delivered at the front of the machine beneath the apron where it is within reach of the operator. No preliminary treatment 29 is provided, depending upon the of the skin is necessary and raw skins may be de-haired in the machine. Very little physical effort is required on the part of the operator; there is no dust present and no health hazard. The operation is rapid and the skins-are undamaged. Even though the operator is relatively unskilled, he is capable of effectively treating the skins as the operation of the machine is practically automatic. Various adjustments may be made to suit the particular skins being treated.

I claim:

1. Hair plucking machine comprising a frame, a rotatable drum in said frame, cooperating roller and rotatable knife mounted on said frame adjacent to the surface of said drum, means for feeding a fur skin between said drum and roller and knife, and means adjacent to the surface of said drum for gripping said skin, a plate mounted on said frame between said drum and said roller and knife, said plate having an opening to permit entrance of said hair from below, and an opening in the front of said plate in which a feed roll is rotatably mounted.

2. Hair plucking machine comprising a frame, a rotatable drum in said frame, cooperating roller and rotatable knife mounted on said frame adjacent to the surface of said drum, means for feeding a fur skin between said drum and roller and knife, and means adjacent References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 335,198 Hoffman Feb. 2, 1886 506,192 Dunkerley Oct. 3, 1893 525,372 Vaughn Sept. 4, 1894 601,809 Jones Apr. 5, 1898 611,883 Baker Oct. 4, 1898 724,249 Billand Mar. 31, 1903 1,002,879 Staniszewski Sept. 12, 1911 1,688,655 Ramsdell Oct. 23, 1928 1,715,758 Horstmann June 4, 1929 2,381,671 Ladner Aug. 7, 1945 2,418,913 Stout et a1. Apr. 15, 1947 2,516,374 Eisen July 25, 1950 2,531,209 Gilbert Nov. 21, 1950 

